Youth programme paying dividends

TONY PHILLISKIRK... “young players given a chance at Boundary Park.”

NEAL EARDLEY’S recent transfer to Blackpool provided further vindication of the importance of Athletic’s youth policy.

Over the last three years it has brought in £1million of much-needed revenue to the Boundary Park club.

The majority of the cash came from the sale of Eardley, Neal Trotman (Preston) and Scott Spencer (Everton).

Athletic also received compensation from Bolton when they signed Spencer’s younger brother, Grant.

And they also picked up a further pay-off from Manchester City as part of the package which lured Micah Richards away from Athletic at the age of 14.

With other jewels on the conveyer belt at Boundary Park – second-year trainees Djeny Bembo-Leta and Phillip McGrath have already featured in the first-team squad this season – it will probably be only a matter of time before there are further sales.

Athletic’s recent record of producing talented youngsters underlines the good work being done by Head of Youth Tony Philliskirk, his team of scouts and coaching staff.

They include Centre of Excellence manager Mick Priest, Tanya Blakey – who overseas the administrative side of the youth set-up – and chief youth scout Ronnie Millward.

Philliskirk admits it is becoming harder than ever to pick up young players as Premier League clubs have extended their tentacles even further.

Not only do Premier League clubs have academies, but many have introduced a second tier in the form of development centres such as Manchester City’s set-up at Failsworth School.

While Athletic don’t have such huge resources, they possess considerable evidence to prove young players have a better chance of breaking into their first team than they would have at bigger clubs.

“The young lads here have great opportunities and that is probably our biggest calling card, said Philliskirk.

“If you are a good enough player, you will be in our first team at a reasonable age or get a move to a bigger club.

“We are pleased with the way things are going here, but we are under no illusions as to the remit of our job.

“It is to produce players for the first team and if they show potential when they get there, they are sold.

“It is a nature of the beast here and I am sure the money we have brought in over the last three years has been of great financial help to the club.”

Philliskirk admitted Athletic face tough competition recruiting young players as both Manchester clubs, the two Liverpool teams, Bolton and Blackburn each have development centres in the Manchester area.

He added: “We are finding a lot of youngsters we would have been interested in are in the development centres.

“As a result of that, the standard and quality of the players we are getting is not equal to that which we used to recruit.

“It is also a case of trying to educate parents that if their children are at a development centre they are not in the main group of players.

“It is hard when you are up against academies with multi-million pound budgets.

“I am not making excuses. It is a fact, but I cut my cloth accordingly.”